Drop-door mechanism.



C. E. WICKERSHAM. DROP DOOR MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5. 1914.

Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANDORAPH c0.. WASHINGTON, D. 1..

C. E. WICKERSHAM. DROP DOOR MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5. I914.

Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

3- SH EETSSHEET 2.

ww WW INVENTOR 094mb" A? W/(Kffi/MM WITNESSES ZMW ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0., WASHINGTON. D4 c.

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CHARLES EDGAR WIGKERSHAM, OF MOUNT VERNON, ILLINOIS, ASSIG'NOB or our:-

HALF To B. E. WILLIS, or MOUNT VERNON, ILLIIvoIs. imor-nooa MECHANISM. 1,153,146. specification of Letters Patent Patented Sept. a, 1915.. Application filed January 5,1914. Serial No. 810,334. To all whom it may concern: of Fig. 2 Fig. 6' is a detail side elevation of F pdescription hereinafter to be given.

Mechanism,

the doors in the closed position,

the load. The door I views,

known that I, CrIARLEs E. WIGKER- V SHAM, a citizen of the United States, and a resident'of Mount Vernon, in the county of Jeiferson and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Drop-Door of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention is designed for embodiment in gondola cars and the like and relates particularly to a drop-door mechanism so constructed and arranged as to provide for either a side discharge or a center discharge of the load, as may be desired.

In carrying out the invention hinge butts are provided at each end of the door and specifically in the preferred form, the hinges comprise drop members, either of which may be released to permit the door to swing on the opposite hinges, the doors in prac-- tice being arrangedon each side of the car to operate in groups of two or three doors to each end of the car. In connection with the doors of the character indicated, supports or rests are provided for sustaining the doors, the rests being arranged to be moved from a central position, sustaining laterally in of either side of the car according to the direction in whichthe door is to swing for a center or side discharge of rests are caused to move in a straight line beneath the door, being caused to advance or recede in suitable guides, to or from the central position to permit the door to gravitate to a lowered position or to raise the door to closed position.

' The distinguishing features of my invention and the improved structural elements characterizing the practical embodiment, which'is illustrated as an example, will be more particularly explained in the specific Be it the direction Reference 1s to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which similar characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in all the and in which 7 Figure 1 is a partial sectional plan view of a gondola car provided with my improve drop-door mechanism; Fig; 2'is a longitudinal vertical section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Figs. 3, 4; and 5 are transverse sections taken respectively on the lines 3-3, and'5-5 hinge members respectively,

erally of angular securing them rigidly resist ,of the doors their hinges.

shafts 20 ranging ing bearers lid- 13 I have shown one dropdoor 1,which'is to be arranged in the car bottom 15. It is to be understood that any approved number and arrangement of the doors may be adopted, as for instance,

The door 1 1 is supported at each side by hinges, composed of fixed upper butts .or

16, suitably riveted or otherthecenter sill and side sill drop-hinge provided at each side with be formed on wise secured to and lower the door being hinge pintles 18, which may brackets 19, secured to the under side of the door. The hinge concave bearings les 18.

date the hinge pint Thefsills 10, 11, are inthe form of tibeams with the flanges of butts are provided with sills disposed inwardly toward the center sill. The upper hinge members 16 aregenform and present vertical members and top members at an angle cor responding to and received in the upper entrant angles of the U-beam sills 10, 11.

By thus forming the hinge elements 16, and in the upper entrant angle of the U-beams, the latter form a backing the former d1s-. posed outwardly and the flanges of the side 1 0 12 and cross ties or cross the usual equipment for a general service car.

butts 17,

lib-17 which accommofor said hinge elements both at thebackand i at the top to adapt the hinge elements to the up-thrust of the pintles 18 when the latter are swung on Thus each hinge element 16 presents a bearing for a rock shaft 20 carrying the mating hinge elements 17 and forms a thrust bearfor the hinge pintles 18 of the door. By thus supporting and positioning the rock shafts 20 those on the side sills 11 will be at To raise and lower the hinge between the upper and p and hubs or bosses 32 zontal member of the cause said door as indicated in Fig the inner sides of the sillso that neither the hinges nor their operating means will present any projections at the exterior of the sides of the car. in any suitable manner, as for instance, by providing a ratchet wheel 21 on each shaft to be engaged by a pawl 22, which may at the left of Fig. 2, the pawl and ratchet thus serving to hold the shaft against turning, for sustaining the door in a raised position. I

Associatedwith the described do hinges, I provide means forthe door and a means forraising the door after having been dropped, it being understood that the means will be extended under a plurality of doors in practice. Thus to the end mentioned, rollers 24 are provided on a shaft 25, which ranges lengthwise of the car and has guided movement and sup port in slots 26, formed in the cross bearers 13l3 The doors 14 are provided with ribs 14, having a horizontal central portion 14 and beveled or upwardly inclined ends 14, constituting inclined planes.

The shaft 25 is arranged to be moved in a straight line in the guide slots 26, or equivalent guide means, to cause the rollers 24 to recede from the'central position shown in Fig. 5, full lines, toward either side of the car, as for instance as indicated in dotted lines at the left of the figure. To actuate the shaft 25, there is shown in the present example, a worm wheel 27 on one end of said shaft meshing with a worm shaft 28, provided with suitable means for turning same.

in response to the turning of the worm wheel 27, spur pinions 32 are secured to the shaft at the cross bearers '13 these spur pinions mesh with rack bars 83, which may be secured to the said cross bearers, preferably above the guide slots 26 in which the shaft 25 travels.

To afford aproper track for the shaft, an angle track 34 is provided at the bottom of eachslot 26 and the spur pinions 32 have that travel on the horisaid angle tracks.

With the described construction, it will be obvious that the drop elements 17 of the hinges at either end may be lowered by turning of the respective shaft 20,-which will release the adjacent end of the door 14 and to gravitate downwardly opposite hinge pintle l8, 5. To permit the door to drop after the release of the drop hinge member, the door supporting rollers 24 and and swing on the The shafts 20 are rocked,

their shaft 25 are moved transversely of the car in the direction ofthe hinged end of the door, by turning the worm shaft 28. To close the door, a reverse movement is given to the worm wheel 28, which will advance the shaft 25 and the rollers 24, along the adjacent inclined planes 14 of the ribs 4?, or equivalent elements on the door, thus causing the door to rise to the closed position, the rollers 24 finally taking positions beneath thehorizontal central portions 14 of the ribs 14 It is to b to permit the doors to drop to a greater or less degree, thereby varying the extent of the discharge opening at either side, and the door will be firmly supported in the given position. The regulating of the discharge opening is especially desirable in the case of ballast cars.

tions of the floor.

I It will be obvious that the worm 28 and worm wheel 27 constitute a lock to maintain given position, since the worm wheel cannot turn the worm.

By the described construction, I provide in a simple manner, for an charge or center discharge may be desired.

he described construction affords a practical means for carrying my invention into effect, and I would state inconclusion that do not limit myself strictly to the mechanical details herein illustrated, manifestly the same can be considerably varied without departure from the spirit of the invention.

aving thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters atentz 1. In a car, a

of the load, as

drop-door presenting opposite inclined planes, hinge means at oppo-' efficient side disan intermediate seal and upon resurface therebetween, hinge means at opposite edges of the door and door supporting means movable over the door from the said intermediate surface into contact with either of the inclined planes. V

3. In a car, a drop-door, means at opposite side edges to optionally hinge the door at either of said edges, a door support including a shaft ranging beneath the door, a track on which the shaft may travel transversely, a worm wheel on said shaft, and a worm meshing with the worm wheel.

4. In a car, sills in the form of U-beams the flanges of one sill being disposed toward the flanges of the opposite sill, and a drop door between the sills, said door having hinge pintles thereon at opposite side edges, hinge elements at the opposite edges of door fixedly secured to the sills, said hinge elements presenting vertical and top mem- U-beams and fitting in said angles, the upper flanges ofthe beams overlying and forming a backing for the top members of the said hinge elements and the webs of the beams forming a backing for the vertical members of said hinge elements, rock shafts having bearings on the vertical members of said fixed hinge elements, and

co-acting hinge elements on said rock shafts Copies of this patent may beobtained for five cents each,

below and adjacent to the fixed hinge elements, said fixed hinge elements and said co-acting hinge elements having corresponding bearing depressions jointly receiving the hinge pintles on the door, the said pintles at either side being releasable by a rocking of the adjacent shaft to drop the hinge elements thereof.

5. In a car, side sills and center sills in the form of U-beams, the flanges of one sill being disposed toward the flanges of the opposite sill, drop doors between the sills, said doors'having hinge pintles at opposite side edges, rock shafts ranging lengthwise of the sills between the flanges thereof, hinge elements on the shafts to rock therewith, and hinge elements of angular form fixedly secured to the U-beams in the upper entrant angles thereof, above the first mentioned hinge elements, both of said hinge elements having mating depressions accommodating the hinge pintles on the doors. V

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES EDGAR WIGKERSHAM.

Witnesses:

B. E. WILLIS, GLADYs WILLIS.

by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

